Astronomers explore the well-known 'Earthrise' crater in a quest for extraterrestrial organisms within our celestial system
JUICE's Successful Lunar Flyby and Calibration of RIME Instrument
The European Space Agency's (ESA) Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) spacecraft recently completed a significant milestone during its lunar flyby in August 2022, using the iconic Anders' Earthrise crater as a calibration target for its Radar for Icy Moon Exploration (RIME) instrument.
RIME, which uses radio wave echoes to measure elevation on rocky bodies, was tested on the lunar surface for eight uninterrupted minutes, allowing it to observe Anders' Earthrise crater. This crater, nearly 25 miles (40 kilometers) across and one of the most-viewed lunar craters in history, provided a well-mapped terrain and high-fidelity elevation data that served as a benchmark to detect and correct electronic noise in RIME's radar signals.
The crater's topography is well-known due to previous spacecraft, making it ideal for precise calibration of the radar's elevation readings. The symbolic significance of the crater, linked to human space heritage, added public interest to the technical task.
This calibration is essential as RIME's main scientific mission is to map hidden subsurface oceans and rocky layers beneath the icy crusts of Jupiter’s moons, where life might exist. Accurate radar measurements are vital for detecting these hidden features.
The successful calibration of RIME during the lunar flyby presents a key step in the extraterrestrial life search with JUICE. The spacecraft, which launched from Earth in April 2023, will reach Jupiter's orbit in 2031 and will be used to hunt for signs of habitability on the moons of Jupiter.
Before settling into orbit around Ganymede from December 2034 to September 2035, JUICE will complete 35 flybys of Jupiter's most massive moons. The lunar flyby marked the first opportunity to test the performance of JUICE's instruments on a solid surface.
ESA has reported the success of the project to correct the issue with JUICE's instruments, which was affecting RIME's measurements. The spacecraft is now headed towards Venus, where its neighbouring planet's gravity will give it a boost on the path to Jupiter.
The crater in question, previously known as "Pasteur T", has been renamed "Anders' Earthrise" in honour of American astronaut William Anders, who captured the iconic "Earthrise" photo featuring the crater during the Apollo 8 mission on Dec. 24, 1968.
The study of Jupiter's moons with JUICE will help to tease out signs of life and habitability beneath the icy shells of the enormous moons. JUICE's mission will provide new insights about the formation of gas giants and planetary systems at large, and aid in the search for extraterrestrial life.
- The successful calibration of RIME during the lunar flyby is crucial for the mission's main objective in environmental-science, which is to map hidden subsurface oceans and rocky layers beneath the icy crusts of Jupiter’s moons, where life might exist.
- The renaming of the crater "Pasteur T" to "Anders' Earthrise" is a nod to its historical significance, as American astronaut William Anders, who captured the iconic "Earthrise" photo featuring the crater during the Apollo 8 mission, is now immortalized in this lunar landmark.
- With its success in science, such as the calibration of RIME on the lunar surface, and the upcoming exploration of Jupiter's moons, the JUICE mission will contribute significantly to the advancement of space-and-astronomy technology and the understanding of our universe.
